1. Field
The present invention relates generally to improvements in vehicle driving range systems and more particularly pertains to intelligent driving range systems for electric vehicles.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electric vehicles are becoming increasingly popular among consumers concerned with becoming more environmentally conscious. Electric vehicles help reduce the carbon footprint of an individual by lessening or eliminating the creation of toxic byproducts normally generated when such individual operates a standard automobile utilizing an internal combustion engine. Unfortunately, as with many newer technologies, inconvenient side effects exist for owners or users of such vehicles, many such nuisances stemming from the required utilization of less common fuel sources by the vehicles. Although gasoline refueling stations for internal combustion engine vehicles are commonly situated in almost every geographic location and can often be found in relatively close proximity to one another, refueling stations for alternative fuel sources are much less prevalent. Users of these vehicles must plan ahead before undertaking a drive or trip in the vehicle for fear of running out of energy and becoming stranded with no opportunity to refuel or recharge the vehicle. This dilemma can be particularly problematic in areas of lower population density where alternative refueling stations are even rarer.
The scarcity of such fuel stations is a cause of anxiety for many users of electric vehicles. Moreover, when traveling in geographic locations far from their home address or in unfamiliar areas or locations, driving range anxiety proves to be a source of high stress. To help aid the drivers of such vehicles, driving range maps have been utilized as part of such vehicles to help keep the driver informed of the remaining travel range available for the vehicle before refueling is required. Current driving range maps or methods, however, only display a one-way driving range for the vehicle or include a manual toggle that requires the user of the vehicle to switch between a one-way driving range and a two-way (i.e., round-trip) driving range. This toggle is selectable by the user through interfacing with one or more various controls associated with the range map system. As such, the user must manually configure the range map in order to have the desired information for a particular driving excursion provided. Not only is such a system or setup cumbersome to the user who must frequently toggle the range map between one-way or two-way driving ranges, but the system also encourages errors on behalf of the user. The user may unintentionally base their driving actions upon information shown for a one-way driving range when the driver intended to make a round-trip driving excursion, or vice versa.
Disadvantages in the current systems also exist in that they require the driver of a vehicle to divert their attention to the electronics or controls within the interior of the vehicle for manually configuring the range map instead of focusing upon the surrounding traffic or environment. This drawback is particularly pertinent when a driver must manually interface with the range map controls after the vehicle is already on the road and not sitting in a stationary location away from any potential traffic. A more intelligent range map system that allows a driver to substantially keep their focus on driving and their hands on the steering wheel and/or the gear shift of the vehicle instead of requiring manual manipulation of the controls of the range map system would be advantageous. In addition, drivers would also appreciate and find convenient a more intelligent range map system that required less manual interaction to obtain desired information. Thus, a more efficient manner of determining and/or communicating driving range information to a user would be desirable.